Parallelogram mounting for guns



July 1, 1952 Filed March 12, 1942 o. WASEM 2,601,807

PARALLELOGRAM MOUNTING FOR GUNS 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR. Otto h asemATTORNEY July 1, 1952 o. WASEM 2,601,807

PARALLELOGRAM MOUNTING FOR GUNS Filed March 12, 1942 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented July 1, 1952 PARALLELOGRAM MOUNTING FOR GUNS OttoWasem, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Verwaltungsgesellschaft derWerkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Zurich-Oerlikon, V SwitzerlandApplication March 12, 1942, Serial No. 434,400 I In Switzerland February14, 1941 7 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expiresFebruary 14, 1961 i In addition to their elevational and lateraldeflection movements, firearms which are mounted on sea-going vessels,and are aimed by the gunners themselves, must be adapted to carry out athird movement in order to compensate for angular variations arisingfrom the movement of the ship. It is impossible otherwise for thegunners operating the weapon to keep the weapon trained accurately onthe target.

Thi compensating movement varies considerably according to the motion ofthe sea and may, for example, be in the longitudinal axis of the ship orathwart ships. The mechanism for carrying out the above mentioned thirdmovement must naturally neither obstruct nor limit the elevation orlateral deflection movements.

The mechanism for mounting firearms on ships according to the presentinvention solves this problem in that the weapon is mounted on a linkparallelogram support, whereby the weapon can be deflected about an axisperpendicular to the axis about which the elevation of the weapon takesplace.

The mechanism whereby the weapon can be elevated and depressed canitself form one side of the link parallelogram. For this purpose, themounting on which the weapon is supported so that it can carry out theelevational movement can be arranged on two arms which are hingedlyconnected together by at least two links and are turnably mounted on themember on which the weapon is mounted for lateral deflection movement.The links can be connected central- 1y, for example, by means of boltson which they are turnable, with the support by which the weapon isdeflected laterally and which generally takes the form of a turnablepillar. The weapon can be suitably arranged in the middle of the linkparallelogram and, on constructional grounds, it can furtheradvantageously have its greater links turnably arranged on the saidsupport.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, whereon there is shownone constructional form of the invention, by way of example, andwhereon:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a weapon mounted on a pillar and pedestal;

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to that of Fig. 1 and shows the sameweapon in the two maximum deflection positions; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the weapon and its mounting.

Referring to the drawings:

The weapon I is fixed in a cradle 2, which is 6 Claims. 89-37) turnablymounted in arms 3 for carrying out the elevating movement, the armsbeing arranged on opposite sides of the pedestal. The cradle 2 is alsosupported by bearings 4 and trunnions 5 in the arms 3. The latter areconnected together by links 6, I and 8, each pivotally fixed at itscentre, as by the pins or bolts I5 and It on which the links 6 and 1 aremounted, to a-pillar I0 turnably mounted in a pedestal 9 in order thatthe weapon can carry out its lateral deflection, the pedestal beingfixed to the ship.

The combination of the links 6, I and 8 with the arms. 3 and thecombination of the links with the pillar 10 provide a kind of flexibleconstruction, whereby the weapon l and its cradle 2 can be tilted on thelink parallelogram structure formed by the arms 3 and the links.

If the position of the pedestal 9 is altered, for example, as shown inFig. 2, the common axis I l of the pivots I2 positioned in bearings [3about which pivots the gun elevation is adjusted, can be steadily heldhorizontal independently of the particular elevation and lateraldeflection of the weapon. The links 6, I and 8 and the arms 3 togetherprovide a parallel guide which makes it possible for the gunnersoperating the weapon to compensate for the movement of the ship and thepedestal 9. This is accomplished by tilting the weapon about thehorizontal axis [4 which is parallel to the axes about which the links 6and 1 rotate, and is perpendicular to the axis ll about which theelevation of the weapon is adjusted. As will be clear from Fig. 3, thecradle 2 rocks on the pivots or trunnions l2 for its elevationadjustment while the horizontal axis I l extends perpendicularly to theelevational axis ll running through the pivots [2. About this horizontalaxis M which, as already stated, runs parallel to the axes about whichthe arms 6 and I rotate, the weapon can be tilted with simultaneousrocking of the linkage structure to make correction for the lateral orrolling movements of the ship.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for mounting firearms on ships comprising a pedestal, apillar disposed on the pedestal and supporting the firearm for lateraladjustment, a cradle for the firearm tiltable for adjusting theelevation of the firearm, a link parallelogram structure pivotallysecured to the pillar, trunnions extending from said cradle, bearingsfor said trunnions which in turn are pivotally mounted in bearingsdisposed on said link parallelogram structure, whereby the firearm canbe tilted about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of elevationand is located in a plane parallel to the support of the firearm.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link parallelogram iscomposed of'two arms on which the cradle is disposed and of at least twolinks articulated to said arms and pivotally mounted on the pillar.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link parallelogram iscomposed of two arms on which the cradle is disposed'andof at least twolinks articulated to said armsand'pivotally mounted on the pillar, thecradle and its trunnions on which its elevation is adjustedforming athird parallelogram link parallel tov the/ links pivoted on the pillar.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the links mounted on thepillar are pivoted thereon at their centers.

5. Apparatus for mounting firearms upon ships for compensating for thetilting movements of the ship, comprising apedestal, a pillar journalledin the pedestal and rotatable about its longitudinal axis, a pair ofparallel links of equal length pivotally mounted attheir centers on saidpillar, a pair of arms extending at right angles to the plane of thelinks and pivotally secured to the ends of the links, and a cradle forthe firearm positioned between-the-arms and having trunnions secured inbearings which in turn are providedwith trunnions at right angles to thefirst-mentioned" trunnions: and journalled on said arms inspacedrelationto the pillar, whereby the weapon is adjustable in the'verticalplane by rotation of the cradleon its own-trunnions and can be heldagainst lateral deflectionvin response to rollingmof theship by pivotaladjustment of the parallelogram structure formed by the parallel linksand the'trunnions of the cradle.

6. Apparatus for mounting firearms upon .ships for compensating, for thetilting movements of the ship, comprising; a pedestal, a pillarjournalled in the pedestal and rotatable-about its longitudinal axis, apair of parallel "links of equal length pivotally, mounted at theircenters on said pillar and being arranged one. above the 4 other, a pairof arms extending at right angles to the plane of the links andpivotally secured to the ends of both links, said arms having extensionsat the rear of the pillar, and-a third link equal in length to thefirst-mentioned links and parallel thereto and pivotally connected atits ends to said arms, a cradle for the firearm pi-votally mounted atopposite ends thereof on the rear extensions of said arms on horizontalaxes parallel to the axes of the pivotal connections of the links andarms, so as to maintain a horizontal-position in the tilted positions ofthe pedestal, and means for supporting the cradle for pivotal movementabout a horizontal axis-which is. at right angles to the first-mentionedhorizontal axes.

OTTO WASE'M.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 734,779 Vivian July .28; 1903969,614 Florenz Sept; '6, 1910 1,223,931 Bourdelles Apr. 24, 19171,303,023 Buokham: May 6, 1919' 1,334,800 Schneider. Mar; 23,1920

1,353,499 Shearer Sept. 21, 1920 1,443,677 Challenger Jan. 30,1923

1,771,084 Herlach- July 22,1930

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